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SOCIAL  SERVICE 

FOR 

YOUNG  PEOPLE 

WHAT  IS  IT? 

Prepared  for  the  Commission  on  the  Church 
and  Social  Service  of  the  Federal 
Council  of  the  Churches  of 
Christ  in  America 


BY 

HARRY  F.  WARD 


Associate  Secretary 


This  is  the  form  adopted  by  the  United  Society  of  Christian 
Endeavor,  but  it  is  equally  applicable  for  use  by  other 
young  people’s  organizations 


Copyright.  1914, 

BY 

FEDERAL  COUNCIL  OF  THE  CHURCHES  OF 
CHRIST  IN  AMERICA 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


GOCIAL  service  is  that  form  of  effort  for 
^ man’s  betterment  which  seeks  to  up- 
lift and  transform  his  associated  and  com- 
munity hfe.  There  are  also  some  forms  of 
service  to  the  social  needs  of  the  individual 
which  may  properly  be  called  social  service. 
Social  service  adds  to  the  effort  to  help  the 
individual  Uves  of  people  the  effort  to  estab- 
lish proper  conditions  for  the  development 
of  those  hves.  It  adds  to  the  relief  of  the 
poor  and  the  sick  and  the  prisoner  the  effort 
to  discover  and  remove  the  causes  of  pov- 
erty and  disease  and  crime.  Its  goal  is 
social  salvation,  “the  deliverance  of  human 
society  from  disease,  poverty,  crime,  and 
misery;  the  development  and  perfection 
of  the  institutions  of  men’s  associated  life; 
and  the  construction  of  a social  order  that 
is  the  city  of  God  on  earth.” 


I 


2 


SOCIAL  SEKVICE 


HISTORICAL. 

rrHE  social-service  movement  is  no  new 
'*■  thing  in  organized  Christianity.  The 
fires  of  Pentecost  kindled  a mighty  passion 
to  help  all  human  need  that  soon  resulted 
in  organized  service.  The  first  Christians 
met  by  common  action  every  need  of  their 
group,  and  the  organized  ministrations  of 
the  early  church  to  the  needs  of  the  age 
were  the  marvel  of  Roman  historians.  In 
the  ministry  of  Jesus  much  time  was  de- 
voted to  doing  good  and  to  the  relief  of 
suffering.  His  opening  proclamation  an- 
nounces a mission  to  the  needs  of  neglected 
individuals  and  groups  — the  poor,  the 
captives,  the  blind,  the  bruised.  His  stand- 
ard of  judgment  is  that  of  service  to  the 
sick,  the  poor,  the  prisoner.  His  whole 
thought  of  religion  is  social;  it  is  the  king- 
dom, the  fatherhood,  the  brotherhood. 

Here  Jesus  fulfilled  the  law  and  the  proph- 
ets. He  was  the  successor  of  those  men 
who  revealed  God  in  terms  of  justice  and 
righteousness  in  the  community  life,  who 
denounced  the  injustice  and  oppression  of 
the  rich,  who  sought  to  build  a community 
life  with  God  all  through  it, 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


3 


Every  great  awakening  in  the  church  has 
emphasized  the  social  nature  of  Christian- 
ity by  its  results  in  social  service.  Our 
modern  programme  of  philanthropy  and  of 
social  and  labor  legislation  was  started  in 
the  Evangelical  Revival.  The  great  mis- 
sionary awakening  of  the  last  generation 
developed  city  evangelism,  the  settlement, 
and  the  institutional  church.  The  attempt 
to  minister  to  the  whole  life  of  the  young 
people  of  the  slums  developed  into  the 
wider  programme  of  removing  those  social 
and  industrial  conditions  which  are  behind 
the  slum  and  its  imperfect  Uves. 

Then  the  present  social-service  movement 
in  the  churches  was  organized  with  thirty 
denominations  joining  together  through  the 
Federal  Council,  behind  a common  social 
creed  and  with  organized  agencies  in  the 
leading  denominations  co-operating  with 
other  social-service  agencies  to  develop 
plans  and  secure  the  measures  that  will 
carry  out  this  creed.  This  means  that 
every  church  will  be  a socialized  church, 
developing  a ministry  to  its  community 
as  well  as  to  the  individuals  around  it, 
concerned  with  poverty  and  disease  and 


4 


SOCIAL  SEKVICE 


delinquency,  with  civic  and  industrial  con- 
ditions. In  this  socialized  church  every 
department  must  have  a social-service 
programme. 

What  shall  be  the  part  and  place  of  the 
Society  of  Christian  Endeavor? 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


5 


SOCIAL  STUDY. 

SERVICE  to  be  successful  must  be  in- 
^ telligent.  To  be  intelligent  it  must 
be  based  upon  a knowledge  of  accepted 
principles  and  methods. 

Many  young  people  who  cannot  be  in- 
duced to  join  a study-class  may  yet  be  en- 
listed in  a reading-course,  especially  if  those 
who  are  reading  the  books  in  the  course  are 
gathered  together  occasionally  for  a social 
hour  and  for  discussion.  Every  society 
should  have  its  own  social-service  library, 
so  that  the  books  may  be  passed  around 
freely.  A list  of  books  can  be  supplied, 
which  cannot  fail  to  catch  and  hold  the 
interest  of  young  people,  because  they  deal 
with  typical  American  conditions  from  an 
intimate,  personal  standpoint. 

Another  popular  form  of  education  which 
can  be  made  use  of  is  the  Open  Forum  for 
the  presentation  of  community  issues.  At 
this  meeting  representatives  of  various 
groups  in  the  community  may  be  heard  at 
first  hand,  and  the  form  of  communication 
by  question  and  answer  may  be  used  to 
establish  a closer  sympathy  between  speaker 
and  audience. 


6 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


COMMUNITY  STUDY. 

ANY  programme  of  social  service  for  the 
individual  or  the  group  must  be  based 
upon  the  needs  of  the^  local  community. 
Therefore  these  must  be  discovered.  The 
only  way  to  discover  them  is  to  make  a 
study  of  local  conditions,  which  will  outline 
the  field  of  needed  activity. 

Before  any  work  is  attempted  the  society 
must  know  also  what  agencies  are  already 
at  work  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  community, 
and  how  they  are  doing  it,  in  order  that  the 
society’s  efforts  may  not  duplicate  the  work 
of  other  societies,  but  supplement  it.  A 
chart  can  be  made  and  placed  on  the  wall 
of  the  church,  showing  the  agencies  which 
will  help  in  caring  for  poverty,  sickness,  or 
delinquency,  or  in  meeting  any  civic  or 
social  emergency. 

It  is  not  advisable  or  even  possible  for  the 
Christian  Endeavor  society  to  make  a 
thorough  study  of  the  whole  community, 
especially  in  the  larger  centres.  In  a com- 
munity of  ten  thousand  or  fewer,  however, 
it  may  be  possible  to  get  a good  general 
view  of  conditions;  but  even  in  this  case 
the  effort  should  be  confined  to  the  things 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


7 


in  which  young  people  are  naturally  inter- 
ested. This  will  limit  the  study  and  activ- 
ity, and  concentrate  the  effort  on  a few 
things.  Any  society  may  well  limit  itself 
to  discovering  and  improving  the  conditions 
of  life  for  the  young  people  of  the  community. 
This  will  include  conditions  of  social  life 
and  recreation,  conditions  of  education, 
conditions  of  health  and  housing  and  of 
occupation. 

The  following  schedule  of  questions  will 
give  assistance  to  the  society  in  studying  its 
own  community; 


What  Every  Society  Should  Know  About 
Its  Own  Community. 

Poverty  and  Delinquency: 

What  charitable  agencies  exist?  Their  general 
efficiency?  Any  co-operation  between  them. 

Approximate  amount  spent  for  relief  in  one  year, 
and  number  of  cases  helped? 

What  rehef  work  is  done  by  churches?  Is  there 
co-operation  between  the  different  depart- 
ments of  the  individual  church?  With  other 
churches?  With  other  charitable  agencies? 

What  city,  county,  or  State  provision  for  rehef 
of  poverty  or  sickness  is  there  in  the  com- 
munity? Does  anybody  inspect  these  insti- 
tutions for  efficiency? 


8 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


Social  Life  and  Recreation: 

What  organized  recreation  is  provided?  In 
schools,  churches,  Young  Men’s  Christian 
Association,  etc. 

What  amusements  are  operated  for  private 
profit?  General  character?  Any  that  are  fla- 
grantly vicious? 

What  educational  facilities  are  there  for  young 
people  who  wish  to  continue  their  education 
while  working?  Night-schools?  Special 
classes  in  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associa- 
tion and  Young  Women’s  Christian  Associa- 
tion? Lecture  courses?  Are  these  facilities 
efficient? 

Health  and  Housing: 

Death-rate?  Infant  mortality?  Compared  with 
neighboring  communities? 

Does  the  health  department  control  contagious 
diseases?  Does  it  educate  the  community 
to  measures  of  prevention? 

Is  any  part  of  the  town  living  in  unsanitary  or 
congested  houses? 

What  laws  are  there  relating  to  such  conditions, 
and  how  are  they  enforced? 

Labor: 

How  many  young  people  over  sixteen  are  wage- 
earners  in  the  community?  Where  do  they 
work?  How  many  work  more  than  ten  hours? 
More  than  nine  hours?  Eight  hours?  How 
many  on  Sunday?  How  many  girls  are  work- 
ing nights? 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


9 


What  are  the  wages  of  the  lowest-paid  group? 
Young  men?  Young  women?  Is  there  a 
minimum-wage  law  in  the  State,  and  is  it  en- 
forced? Average  wage  in  the  various  indus- 
tries in  the  community?  How  does  it  compare 
with  the  cost  of  living  in  that  place? 

What  are  the  conditions  of  health  in  the  com- 
munity’s industries?  What  labor  laws  in  the 
State?  Do  they  protect  the  worker,  and  to 
what  extent?  Is  there  a system  of  factory 
inspection,  and  is  it  enforced? 

What  is  done  to  help  young  people  find  employ- 
ment? 

Government : 

What  form  of  government?  Who  are  the  officers? 
What  are  their  functions,  and  what  power  have 
they?  What  are  the  forces  that  really  con- 
trol? 

What  departments  of  the  local  government  most 
vitally  affect  the  welfare  of  the  community? 

What  co-operation  is  there  between  the  church 
group  and  these  departments? 


10 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


HOW  TO  BEGIN. 

A GOOD  way  to  begin  is  for  the  Chris- 
tian-citizenship  committee  to  make  a 
general  study  of  the  community  according 
to  this  schedule,  modifying  the  schedule  to 
fit  local  needs,  and  striking  out  such  ques- 
tions as  are  not  applicable.  This  informa- 
tion should  then  be  classified  and  worked 
up  in  the  form  of  charts,  so  that  it  may  be 
presented  to  the  whole  society  in  graphic 
fashion.  The  stereopticon  can  be  used  to 
good  advantage  in  this  part  of  the  work. 

From  this  general  study  the  members 
may  select  that  particular  condition  which 
appears  to  call  most  urgently  for  action. 
When  this  has  been  done,  a more  detailed 
study  of  that  condition  should  be  made 
before  anything  is  done  to  meet  the  need. 

In  the  case  of  city  societies  the  district 
should  be  defined,  and  other  young  people’s 
groups  should  if  possible  be  enlisted  in  the 
effort. 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


11 


MAKING  THE  WORK  CONSTRUCTIVE. 

Relief  Work.  The  practical  work  of 
the  society  cannot  be  called  social  service 
until  it  becomes  constructive  and  preven- 
tive as  well  as  palliative.  Social  service 
is  not  content  to  relieve  without  at  the 
same  time  investigating  the  causes  of 
distress  and  seeking  to  remove  them. 

The  very  first  principle  of  relief  work 
is  co-operation,  co-operation  within  the 
church  itself,  seeing  that  one  organization 
does  not  duplicate  the  work  of  another; 
co-operation  with  other  churches  of  the 
same  denomination  and  of  other  denomi- 
nations; and  co-operation  with  agencies 
outside  the  church,  especially  with  the 
organized  charities  of  the  community. 

The  second  principle  is  quite  as  im- 
portant; there  should  be  continuity  of 
service.  Spasmodic  help  will  not  only  do 
little  good,  but  may  work  harm.  What- 
ever work  may  be  selected,  it  should  not 
be  dropped  until  it  has  been  carried  through 
to  completion  and  there  is  no  further  need 
of  it.  It  is  much  better  to  select  a per- 
manent problem,  and  give  attention  to 
that,  than  to  attempt  many  different  pieces 


12 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


of  work,  doing  only  a little  of  each.  For 
instance,  if  help  is  given  to  a family,  it 
should  be  helped  continuously  until  the 
members  are  able  to  care  for  themselves; 
not  receive  a basket  at  Thanksgiving  or 
Christmas  time  and  be  left  to  itself  the 
remainder  of  the  year. 

Nearly  every  society  has  among  its 
members  one  or  more  young  women  who 
are  able  to  give  a good  deal  of  time  to 
visitation  and  other  relief  work.  These 
should  be  trained  as  friendly  visitors  in 
the  community,  so  that  their  service  may 
be  guided  and  directed  in  such  a way  as 
will  make  it  doubly  valuable.  The  local 
charity  organization  will  accept  such  volun- 
teer help  and  give  the  desired  training. 

Work  for  the  Sick.  Where  there  is  a 
hospital  in  the  community,  many  small 
services  may  be  performed  for  the  patients, 
especially  for  those  in  the  free  wards. 
Religious  services  may  be  held.  Reading- 
matter  may  be  provided,  and  some  one 
may  be  assigned  to  read  aloud  a certain 
amount  of  time  each  week.  Letters  may 
be  written;  often  in  the  convalescent 
wards  a programme  of  music  and  readings 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


13 


will  be  appreciated.  Many  Christian  En- 
deavor unions  are  doing  excellent  work 
along  these  lines  through  their  hospital 
department. 

If  there  are  dispensaries,  social-service 
work  may  be  carried  on  by  a system  of 
following  up  the  patients  to  see  that  the 
physician’s  orders  are  carried  out  and  that 
the  patients  are  provided  with  the  means 
of  procuring  what  is  prescribed,  and  to  im- 
prove the  home  conditions  so  that  further 
illness  may  be  prevented. 

Rural  societies  may  provide  fruit  and 
flowers  for  the  sick  in  the  city  by  co-oper- 
ating with  the  city  societies.  Express 
companies  will  usually  carry  such  gifts 
free  of  charge. 

Work  for  the  sick  must  not  end  with 
relief.  It  must  be  extended  until  it  looks 
also  to  the  prevention  of  illness  and  to  the 
aggressive  advocating  of  public-health 
measures.  The  local  health  department 
will  be  glad  of  volunteer  help  in  spreading 
knowledge  concerning  its  plans  for  sanita- 
tion and  the  proper  care  of  disease,  in. 
reporting  violations  of  health  laws,  in  dis- 
tributing literature  dealing  with  public 


14 


SOCLA.L  SEEVICE 


health,  in  its  effort  to  eliminate  improper 
housing-conditions,  and  in  the  effort  to 
enforce  the  health  laws  of  the  community. 

Aiding  the  Prisoner.  Christian  En- 
deavor societies  have  been  organized  in 
the  prisons  and  penitentiaries  in  more  than 
a score  of  States,  and  are  doing  most 
efficient  service.  In  other  places  stated 
religious  services  are  held.  Reading- 
matter  may  be  distributed  in  the  jails; 
and,  if  this  service  is  attempted,  it  should 
be  systematic  and  continuous.  And  such 
reading-matter  should  be  fresh  and  inter- 
esting. Out-of-date  church  papers  will 
not  interest  the  people  usually  found  in 
jails. 

Find  out  whether  the  prisoners  have 
employment.  If  not,  insist  that  some- 
thing be  given  them  to  do  for  a reasonable 
number  of  hours  six  days  in  the  week. 
Interest  the  judges  and  officers  of  the  law 
in  helping  to  secure  modern  equipment  and 
modern  methods  of  handling  prisoners. 
Co-operate  with  organizations  that  care 
for  the  prisoners  after  they  are  discharged. 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


15 


SOCIALIZING  THE  SOCIAL  DEPARTMENT. 

TN  every  community  there  are  groups  of 
young  people  who  are  not  touched  or 
brought  into  contact  in  any  way  with  the 
young  people  in  the  church  societies. 
Every  society  should  make  an  effort  to 
get  into  contact  with  these. 

Homeless  Young  People.  Take,  for 
instance,  that  increasing  number  of  young 
men  and  women  in  the  cities  who  are  away 
from  home,  without  the  restraints  of  their 
former  environment,  and  without  proper 
social  life  in  their  new  surroundings. 
Practical  help  may  take  the  form  of  finding 
proper  boarding-places  and  getting  these 
homeless  ones  invited  into  Christian  homes 
to  spend  Sunday,  so  that  they  may  have  a 
touch  of  home  life.  The  social  hour  after 
church,  and  the  fireside  social  Sunday 
afternoon  from  four  to  six,  at  which  light 
refreshments  are  served,  have  been  used 
as  a weapon  against  the  loneliness  and 
dangers  of  that  hour. 

Young  People  from  Abroad.  Then  there 
are  the  immigrant  young  men  and  women. 
If  America  is  to  care  for  the  new  peoples 
who  are  drawn  in  such  numbers  by  the 


16 


SOCIAL  SEKVICE 


promise  of  a greater  liberty,  it  will  be  only 
as  the  American  young  people,  and  espe- 
cially those  of  the  churches,  see  in  these 
groups  an  opportunity  for  splendid  ser- 
vice. Suspicion  and  prejudice  toward  those 
of  another  race  will  never  be  disarmed 
until  the  young  people  meet  face  to  face 
and  find  out  for  themselves  the  essential 
unity  of  the  race. 

Classes  in  English  and  civics  afford  a 
good  opportunity  for  getting  acquainted. 
There  are  now  a number  of  books  designed 
for  the  purpose  of  teaching  foreigners  in 
simple,  untechnical  fashion,  so  that  any 
ordinarily  well-educated  Endeavorer  may 
successfully  lead  such  a class. 

The  national  social,  in  which  the  vari- 
ous groups  of  foreigners  furnish  the  enter- 
tainment by  appearing  in  native  costumes 
and  giving  exhibitions  of  the  manners  and 
customs  of  their  own  countries,  is  another 
excellent  means  of  getting  acquainted. 
In  the  cities  where  these  foreign  groups 
have  their  own  editors,  singers,  and  other 
leaders,  these  will  usually  gladly  aid  in  an 
enterprise  of  this  kind.  Devise  your  own 
methods  for  extending  the  circle  of  friend- 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


17 


ship  outside  the  church  group.  The  es- 
sential thing  is  to  come  into  vital  contact 
with  the  young  people  of  other  national- 
ities in  the  community,  for  this  will  open 
the  way  to  larger  forms  of  service  to  the 
immigrant  group. 

Recreation  for  All.  Has  your  society  a 
consistent  and  persistent  programme  of 
recreation,  or  does  it  merely  give  a “social” 
occasionally?  A well-planned  programme, 
covering  the  half-year  season,  will  yield  far 
more  satisfactory  results  than  a haphazard 
effort  to  furnish  recreation.  The  plans 
should  be  extended  to  include  every  pos- 
sible group  in  the  community.  The  au- 
tumn season  may  begin  with  informal 
“welcome”  receptions  to  the  various 
groups  who  have  been  away  for  the  sum- 
mer, teachers,  students,  etc.;  and  the 
programme  for  this  period  may  take  many 
forms,  such  as  musical  and  literary  even- 
ings. 

Education,  especially  in  the  city,  may 
be  combined  with  recreation  by  making 
visits  in  groups  to  various  places  of  inter- 
est in  the  city.  This  is  a particularly 
good  plan  for  Saturday  afternoons  in  the 


18 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


summer,  when  the  trip  may  end  with  a 
picnic  or  social  of  some  kind  out-of-doors. 

The  Rural  Society.  The  rural  society 
has  quite  as  many  advantages  as  the  city 
society  when  it  comes  to  planning  for 
organized  recreation.  Here,  as  in  the 
city,  there  may  be  musical  evenings,  de- 
bates, moving  pictures,  and  athletics  for 
the  winter  season;  in  addition,  the  rural 
society  may  plan  in  the  summer  for  such 
events  as  the  community  fair,  patterned 
after  the  county-fair  idea,  giving  prizes 
for  the  best  flowers,  fruits,  samples  of 
cooking,  hand-work,  etc.,  and  arranged  by 
the  young  people  themselves. 

Combining  education  and  recreation  is 
easy  in  the  country  community,  for  there 
are  fewer  attractions  than  in  the  city,  and 
such  events  are  more  likely  to  succeed. 
The  State  university  and  the  agricultural 
schools  will  usually  co-operate  in  furnish- 
ing lectures  on  various  subjects. 

The  pageant  and  the  festival  for  national 
holidays  or  other  times  can  be  used  by 
both  city  and  country  societies,  but  the 
country  society  will  have  some  advantages 
over  the  city  group. 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


19 


FRESH-AIR  WORK 

piTY  and  rural  societies  may  work  to- 
gether  in  planning  for  fresh-air  and 
summer-vacation  work,  as  is  being  done  by 
many  Christian  Endeavor  unions.  The 
district  may  be  organized,  and  a list  of 
the  farmhouses  secured  where  young  people 
from  the  city  will  be  taken  for  short  periods 
at  moderate  rates.  The  city  society  may 
furnish  the  names  of  young  people  who 
would  be  benefited  by  a vacation  on  a 
farm,  but  who  cannot  afford  summer- 
resort  prices. 

Another  plan  which  can  be  worked  to 
advantage  is  for  the  rural  societies  to 
organize  summer  camps  by  furnishing  the 
place  and  the  equipment  for  the  camp. 
The  city  group  may  pay  the  running-ex- 
penses by  appointing  a club  to  handle  this 
part  of  it,  making  the  rates  cover  the 
operating-expenses  of  the  venture.  The 
good  accomplished  does  not  stop  with  the 
individuals  benefited;  it  will  establish 
as  well  a working  acquaintanceship  be- 
tween city  and  rural  societies,  which  is  sure 
to  result  in  further  successful  ventures 
together. 


20 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


Organized  recreation  by  means  of  these 
and  other  methods  is  taking  an  increas- 
ingly large  place  in  the  work  of  Christian 
Endeavor.  But,  as  the  society  continues 
to  develop  plans  for  the  recreation  of  its 
own  members  and  as  many  others  as  it 
can  reach,  it  will  discover  that  the  com- 
bined efforts  of  all  the  young  people,  and 
of  all  the  older  people  even,  cannot  reach 
all  the  individuals  in  the  community. 
There  will  be  groups,  especially  in  the 
larger  centres,  that  remain  untouched. 

How  is  the  society  to  help  here?  It 
will  first  reveal  the  need  of  community 
recreation,  by  lectures,  by  pictures,  by 
charts,  by  contact  with  conditions;  and 
then  it  will  work  for  the  broader  pro- 
gramme of  community  recreation  by  means 
of  public  parks,  playgrounds,  and  social 
centres,  all  properly  supervised  and  di- 
rected, in  the  meantime  doing  its  full  share 
of  the  work  of  supplying  wholesome  fun  for 
as  many  of  the  comiriunity  as  it  can  reach. 

Recreation  and  Social  Purity.  No  soci- 
ety will  be  content  to  provide  wholesome 
amusement  without  the  effort  to  prevent 
improper  types.  And  the  prevention  of 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


21 


improper  recreation  will  lead  to  the  prob- 
lem of  organized  vice,  for  the  two  are  in- 
separable. The  public  dance-halls,  the 
amusement-parks,  and  the  excursion- 
steamers  are  recruiting-stations  for  the 
dealers  in  commercialized  vice. 

The  first  step  in  prevention  is  to  under- 
stand that  a segregated  district  in  any 
community  is  unnecessary,  that  it  remains 
only  because  of  the  consent  of  the  com- 
munity. It  cannot  be  too  emphatically 
stated  that  segregation  as  a policy  is  no 
longer  considered  necessary  or  even  sound. 
This  stand  is  taken  not  only  by  the  reli- 
gious forces,  but  by  social  workers  and  pro- 
gressive thinkers  the  country  over.  This 
distinctly  new  attitude  is  the  result  of  the 
scientific  investigations  made  within  the 
last  few  years  by  specially  selected  com- 
missions in  various  parts  of  the  country. 

If  there  is  a segregated  district  in  your 
community,  why  should  it  continue  to 
exist?  If  it  continues,  it  means  assuredly 
that  some  girls  and  boys  must  be  sacri- 
ficed. The  young  people  of  the  community 
should  be  interested  to  see  that  no  girls 
are  drawn  into  that  life, 


22 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


The  second  step  is  education  in  personal 
standards.  Commercialized  vice  can  be 
rooted  out  as  soon  as  the  community  wills. 
But  the  only  way  in  which  the  social  evil 
will  be  eradicated  entirely  will  be  by  the 
recognition  of  the  single  standard  of  moral- 
ity. The  influence  of  Christian  young 
people  should  be  thrown  on  the  side  of  the 
single  standard  and  everything  that  makes 
for  it. 

The  society  will  lend  its  influence  in  the 
suppression  of  songs,  pictures,  and  liter- 
ature that  may  be  suggestive,  and  will 
avoid  in  every  way  anything  that  may 
tend  toward  evil  thoughts.  Conscientious 
yoimg  women  will  avoid  extreme  fashions 
in  dress,  which  are  usually  not  only  lack- 
ing in  modesty  and  utility,  but  inartistic 
as  well. 

Notices  should  be  placed  in  the  public 
buildings  of  the  community  directing 
young  people  going  into  the  city  to  apply 
for  information  and  direction  only  to 
officials  in  uniform.  Societies  in  the  smaller 
towns  and  cities  may  see  that  their  mem- 
bers who  are  moving  into  the  larger  centres 
are  put  in  touch  with  the  city  societies 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


23 


through  the  Christian  Endeavor  introduc- 
tion department. 

Christianizing  Industry.  The  modem 
church  has  started  on  the  task  of  making 
industry  Christian.  The  young  people  of 
the  churches  will  find  their  share  of  this 
task  in  endeavoring  to  improve  the  condi- 
tions under  which  young  people  are  now 
working.  The  most  pressing  need  is  for 
legislation  concerning  the  hours  of  work 
and  the  creation  of  minimum-wage  boards. 
If  there  are  no  such  laws,  work  for  them. 
Whether  the  effort  shall  be  for  an  eight, 
nine,  or  ten-hour  law  will  depend  upon 
how  far  advanced  your  State  is  and  what, 
the  industrial  group  is  fighting  for. 

Find  out  where  and  under  what  condi- 
tions the  young  people  of  your  com- 
munity are  working  — in  factories,  stores, 
laundries,  telephone  exchanges.  It  is  fre- 
quently possible  by  arousing  sentiment  in 
a community  to  secure  the  immediate 
improvement  of  conditions  by  bringing 
local  influence  and  pressure  to  bear  on 
employers  without  waiting  for  the  slow 
process  of  legislation.  If  satisfactory  laws 
9,lready  exist,  help  to  get  them  enforced, 


24 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


The  rural  society  may  concern  itself 
with  the  conditions  of  agricultural  labor. 
The  work  of  women  on  the  farm  needs  to 
be  made  lighter,  more  attractive,  and  more 
enjoyable.  The  Agricultural  Department 
at  Washington,  as  well  as  the  State  agri- 
cultural school  will  furnish  many  sugges- 
tions that  will  aid  in  making  farm  life  more 
profitable  as  well  as  more  interesting. 
Community  gatherings  for  the  open  dis- 
cussion of  ways  and  means  may  be  made 
the  occasion  of  social  as  well  as  educational 
meetings. 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


25 


GOOD  GOVERNMENT. 

T^HEN  the  society  sets  out  earnestly 
'*  to  improve  community  conditions, 
whether  it  be  in  recreation,  industry,  or 
health,  it  will  not  go  very  far  before  it  will 
find  that  it  must  work  through  the  govern- 
ment. Endeavorers  must  learn  that  real 
citizenship  entails  a larger  responsibility 
than  going  to  the  polls  occasionally  and 
casting  a vote.  The  presentation  in  the 
Sunday-evening  meetings  of  subjects  that 
will  enlighten  the  young  people  concerning 
the  local  government  and  its  management 
will  therefore  be  of  more  than  passing 
value. 

The  society  will  provide  for  the  public 
discussion  of  all  measures  which  touch  the 
community  welfare,  and  especially  meas- 
ures concerning  the  lives  of  young  people. 

A pre-legislation  institute  has  been 
worked  with  success.  This  institute  con- 
sists of  a full  discussion  of  all  the  important 
measures  which  are  to  come  up  at  the 
pending  session  of  the  State  legislature,  by 
prominent  men  and  women  who  are  qual- 
ified to  speak  on  the  proposed  legislation. 

Another  plan  which  tends  toward  good 


26 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


citizenship  is  the  ceremony  for  first  voters. 
Arrange  for  the  presentation  of  certificates 
of  citizenship  to  those  who  are  about  to 
vote  for  the  first  time,  including  immigrants 
who  have  just  taken  out  naturalization 
papers.  Speeches  may  be  made  by  the 
leading  officials  of  the  community,  music 
furnished  by  the  school  children,  and  the 
occasion  made  a community  social  event. 
At  such  meetings  it  may  be  possible  to 
secure  members  for  classes  in  citizenship. 

In  some  communities  a junior  govern- 
ment has  been  organized,  in  which  a group 
of  young  people  elect  some  of  their  num- 
ber to  fill  offices  similar  to  those  held  in 
the  local  government.  These  junior  ofiicers 
become  auxiliaries  to  the  regular  officials, 
assisting  them  in  every  way,  and  using  the 
other  young  people  as  auxiliary  forces  to 
this  end.  In  aiding  the  health  depart- 
ment there  has  been  organized  in  some 
places  a junior  sanitary  police  to  inspect 
the  health  conditions  of  the  community 
and  to  endeavor  to  secure  the  observance 
of  health  ordinances. 

Every  society  should  have  on  the  wall 
of  its  meeting-place  a directory  of  public 


SOCIAL  SERVICE 


27 


servants — Senators,  Representatives  (both 
State  and  national),  aldermen,  county  com- 
missioners, members  of  the  school  board, 
and  others.  Then,  when  it  is  desired  to 
bring  the  influence  of  the  members  to  bear 
on  officials  who  have  certain  measures 
under  consideration,  the  names  and  ad- 
dresses will  be  easily  accessible  to  all. 

CONCLUSION. 

Finally,  Endeavorers  should  see  that  any- 
thing they  may  be  able  to  do  is  only  a 
small  part  of  a mighty  movement,  which 
is  only  in  its  initial  stage  in  the  churches 
and  in  the  whole  of  modern  fife.  This 
movement  is  arousing  the  religious  passion 
for  service  and  applying  that  impulse  to 
the  redemption  and  construction  of  soci- 
ety. It  is  evangelizing  the  whole  fife  of 
humanity,  and  there  is  need  for  every 
Christian  to  consecrate  himself  to  this 
great  task  of  Christianizing  the  social 
order. 

Social  service  literature  relating  to  the  problems 
considered  in  this  leaflet  may  be  obtained  on  ap- 
phcation  to  the  Federal  Council  Commission  on  the 
Church  and  Social  Service,  105  East  22d  Street, 
New  York. 


